Friday, January 17
Yep, I'm back. Actually, I probably would have taken a few more days before updating, but something happened tonight that I wanted to get down in words before the feelings wore off. Last semester my section in the studio had a Secret Santa kind of thing, and I ended up with a $15 gift card to Target. Well, tonight I decided to use it. I took the bus over to Target (about 5 miles), picked up Coldplay's new CD, got some dinner at the McDonald's next door, and waited for the bus home. After a few minutes, I got off the bus to make a transfer and watched the bus I needed pull away and head north. It would be half an hour before another bus came. I was about a mile south of campus (although I didn't know that at the time; I had no idea where I was). I sat there on the bench, freezing and nervous as hell. I must have been the only white person within a half mile radius at least. There was one guy who walked past me probably 4 or 5 times. He would walk by, cross the street, then cross back a couple minutes later and walk by again. Every other car driving by had a loud bassline coming from it. Sketchy people inhabitated the sidewalks. I've honestly never been more scared of being killed, or at least roughed up, in my life. I sat there for a good 20 minutes shivering and waiting. I prayed that God would deliver me safely home, that maybe someone who wasn't scary would need the same bus and sit next to me. It couldn't have been more than two minutes later that a black woman, probably about 50 or so, sat next to me and asked me how I managed to get there. I explained my evening, and she kind of laughed and told me there was nothing to worry about. She talked softly, so I couldn't understand everything she said. But she asked what I was studying and all that good stuff, and made a comment about how I must be good at math. When the bus finally got there a few minutes later, it became apparent that she wasn't getting on. She had just sat there and talked with me out of the kindness of her heart. I said goodbye and thanked her, then got on the bus and went home. Now, I'm pretty cynical about the whole "God sending angels to earth to answer individual prayers" thing. I mean, they're just regular people, right? And you may think it sounds silly, and it will probably seem sillier to me as time moves on, but for a while at least, it wasn't so farfetched. I feel peaceful. As for my Christmas break and what's in store for the near future, I'll write a little about that tomorrow.
Monday, January 20
Ah, back to the daily grind. I had a great break; I hung out with my friends and did a whole lot of nothing at home. It was great to see everyone that I hadn't seen in months, although there were several people I wanted to talk to but didn't get the chance. I of course made the trip to Miami to watch the Trojans completely overpower the Hawkeyes in the Orange Bowl, just as I predicted. There was one point just after Christmas where I slept in three different time zones within a week. I've definitely had enough of flying for a while. To sum it up, my break was fantastic, restful, and much needed. I feel ready to take on another semester. Luckily, this one seems at least a little easier; still 16 hours, but 4 classes instead of 5 and much less time in the classroom. And the classes look easier. I'm thinking I can get at least a 3.5, maybe even a 4.0 if I really work. Here's hoping. To completely change the subject, I watched the movie Empire Records the other night. I'm not really sure how I feel about it. It was kinda cliche and boring at times, but pretty interesting for the most part. Ethan Embry (better known as Preston Meyers from Can't Hardly Wait) played a real weirdo. In the coming weeks/months I hope to add some new things to the site that should be a lot of fun. Or something. Well, I should wrap this up. Stay tuned.
Tuesday, January 28
For those of you waiting for my reaction to the Super Bowl, you'll have to wait a little bit longer. I'm planning on devoting a separate page to it, because it was so monumentally awesome. So look for that coming soon. Other than that, it's been a pretty uneventful week; I did get my first project of the semester finished and that went ok. There's really nothing else worth mentioning. This is the worst time of the year for sports. The NFL's done, no baseball, and all there is is NBA, NHL, and college basketball. Now college basketball's great, but it's not real interesting until the tournament, which is almost two months away. So we have to suffer through week after week of dull sporting events. Sigh. I'm planning on giving the site an overhaul (which is a manly word for a makeover) and that should be done in a week or two. You'll like it. I promise.
Friday, February 7
It's actually been Saturday for a few hours now, but I can't sleep, so here I am. Not much updating lately because not much has been happening, and also because I just haven't felt like it. I promise more frequent updates are forthcoming. For rizeal. Anyway, I don't really have anything of interest to say. I want to update the music section more in the coming weeks just because I haven't done that in forever. And maybe add a section or two. And that overhaul I promised is in the works as well. Super Bowl recap this week. Watch Scrubs when it comes back on in a couple weeks, it's been great lately. And that's all I've got. Expect more soon.
Thursday, February 13
A few quick things before I retire for the evening after a long night/day of working and studying (Once again, I managed to get everything done. I'm perfect on that so far this semester). I'm going to admit something that I'm a little embarrassed about. I've watched the last two episodes of Joe Millionaire. Yes, he who thumbs his nose at reality television watched The Newest Reality Craze. But you know what's even more embarrassing? I must watch the final episode on Monday. If I don't see for myself when Joe (I don't care what his real name is) tells his girl of choice that he's got about as much money in his bank account as her bum uncle, I think my brain will explode. As for Joe himself, I think he's hilarious in an unintentional kind of way. It shows him and one of the ladies out in the French countryside, she's petting and grooming a horse, while he's just outside the stable popping open bottles of wine. I thought that was a riot. Not to mention the looks on his face when the girls try to talk serious. And just various other things he says or does...I basically called him a caveman on an away message a few days ago. Classic comedy that wasn't supposed to be. Also, a personal beef: have you seen the ads for that "Married by America" thing? Talk about taking the sanctity of marriage, dousing it in gasoline, and lighting it aflame in a spectular ball of fire! I realize marriage isn't as holy as it once was, what with the realities that exist in today's world, but come on. I've always thought reality shows were kind of stupid, but this draws the line. I can no longer say I've never been offended by a TV show's concept.
Well, that wasn't very quick was it? Ah, well. Better luck next time.
Friday, February 21
The updates have been few and far between lately...not really any particular reason, I just haven't felt like working on the site. I did start on a new page where I say a little something about each of my CDs. I'll probably make it available to the public in a few days; it won't be done, but I'll just add things over time. And about my Super Bowl page...it's been so long, I don't know if I could accurately recount the events. But I do have a little something down, which I'll link to now. I think my hate for the Raiders has fully revealed itself. I've got a busy weekend ahead of me; I have to build a model (which consists of a large site, 15 small pavilions, and lots and lots of trees), recreate that model on Form-Z (a computer program), and do several section/plan drawings as well. Many, many hours worth of work. Tonight I'm playing at the lacrosse game (for band; I'm not on the lacrosse team). I don't have time right now, but next week I'll resume the Friday Five, and I'll also add a new weekly feature at some point. Rejoice and be glad! And my site overhaul is nearing completion...brace yourself for a mid-week burst of something new.
Saturday, February 22
Experienced my second earthquake real, real early this morning. I had gone to a trumpet party last night and got back here about 3:30 in the morning. I stayed up for about 20 or 30 minutes before going to bed. After a few minutes of laying there, I could feel a slight shaking. It took a few seconds before I realized what was happening, but it definitely woke me up. This one was a little stronger than the first one; it still didn't knock anything off the shelves, but the building was making noises this time. I finally got to sleep, and I had a dream about an earthquake. So yeah. Anyway, I've got about 25 hours worth of work ahead of me this weekend, so I'm off to do that. Wish me luck.
Friday, February 28
After an extended absence, the Friday Five is back in business. Let's get to it, shall we?
1. What is your favorite type of literature to read (magazine, newspaper, novels, nonfiction, poetry, etc.)?
I like technical books, ballpark books, and combinations of the two.
2. What is your favorite novel?
I don't really know. I like the Lord of the Rings books, and the Narnia books too.
3. Do you have a favorite poem? (Share it!)
Here I sit, broken hearted...nah, I'm just kidding. I don't really have one.
4. What is one thing you've always wanted to read, or wish you had more time to read?
Ball Four by Jim Bouton.
5. What are you currently reading?
Nothing, other than textbooks. Well, I guess reading is kind of a strong word.
Not a whole lot to report. I'm getting real excited for baseball season. While it's probably no indication of how their season will go, the Royals have won their first two spring training games. Other than that, it's more of the same old dull routine, in the immortal words of Rupert Holmes. Hope everyone's having a good weekend.
Wednesday March 5 5:00 PM
What's new? Not much. I'm enjoying a nice break from architecture before the project gets hardcore in this last week. I've done a little behind-the-scenes work on the site, as well as policing the Trumpz guestbook, which has been absolutely nuts lately. It's Ash Wednesday, so I'm hoping to find a service somewhere tonight. I've decided to give up chocolate for Lent. We'll see how that goes. Other than that, not much is happening. Just trying to make it to spring break.
Friday March 7 12:42 AM
FF
1. What was the last song you heard?
I'm currently listening to "Emaline" from the Ben Folds Live album. It's really an incredible song; ask Isaiah, he was bowled over.
2. What were the last two movies you saw?
The Ring, and, umm...I think The Two Towers
3. What were the last three things you purchased?
Other than food, probably architecture supplies of some sort.
4. What four things do you need to do this weekend?
I'm doing a gig recording fight songs for a video game, and other than that I'll probably be working on my project all weekend.
5. Who are the last five people you talked to?
Collin, John, Brent, Dan Li, Sarah
Again, not a lot to report. I'd like to direct your attention to the Hoodie Tuesdays grassroots movement, which is pretty self-explanatory, but you can visit the page for more info. Catch the wave.
Monday March 10 11:40 PM
A few small items to mention.
First, the TMB couldn't get much more awesome. Sunday, about 30 of us were bussed out to Warner Bros. Studios in Hollywood, where we recorded fight songs for the upcoming edition of NCAA Gamebreaker for PS2. And I was handed a $50 bill as I walked out the door. Dude.
I've made an appearance on the Hoodie Tuesdays Thank You page. I think my new slogan is, "Mike Ruark: Allowing Dreams to Come True"
EVK received a C from the health inspector. To really put this in perspective, Carl's Jr. got an A. Think of the last time you were at a Carl's Jr., then imagine eating someplace two grades dirtier than that. *Shudder*
And finally, spring break is in less than a week. I'm stoked. Expect an update or two before the weekend.
Thursday March 13 9:59 PM
I've spent the last 4 days in a cramped pig sty breathing noxious fumes and sawdust, cutting my fingers, gluing myself to things, and ruining my clothing.
And our project looks great.
My largest pre-spring break hurdle was cleared today. This semester's group project went really well (the instructors said that as a whole, it was the strongest set of models since they started doing this particular project). Hopefully I'll have some pics pretty soon that I can post. Anyway, I've had about 3 hours of sleep in the last 36 hours, so I'm heading to bed real soon. This is probably it for the updates until after spring break. Have a good one.
Saturday March 15 12:18 AM
I lied. FF time (and yes, I know I'm 18 minutes late, but it still feels like Friday).
1. Do you like talking on the phone? Why or why not?
It's not really something I do recreationally. It doesn't really bother me though.
2. Who is the last person you talked to on the phone?
Rolex (from architecture)
3. About how many telephones do you have at home?
There's two in the room, one of which belongs to me.
4. Have you encountered anyone who has really bad phone manners? What happened?
I dunno...maybe. I don't think about these things long enough to remember.
5. Would you rather pick up the phone and call someone or write them an e-mail or a letter? Why or why not?
There's not really a "why not?" to this question, but...probably email. Quick and convenient, you know they'll get it, saves possible long distance charges. Of course, if I needed them right away, I'd call. Or IM them.
OK, now I'm seriously done until after Spring Break. My flight's in under 12 hours and I'm ready. Au revoir. (If I misspelled that, desole. Je suis American, je ne parle pas Francais.)
Friday March 28 11:46 PM
I thought the Friday Five for this week was particularly boring (plus I couldn't think of any answers), so I randomly chose an old one that I hadn't done before. On with the show!
1. What did you want to be when you grew up?
Baseball player. After I realized that wasn't going to happen, I thought I would do something with computers, then sometime sophomore year architecture caught my eye. When I was little, I had the whole doctor, astronaut, generic thing going.
2. Do you have any nicknames?
Several actually. You can find each and every one on the Personal Profile.
3. If you could change something about yourself what would it be?
Hmm....I guess I would want to be more outgoing.
4. Have you ever bought anything from an infomercial?
Nope.
5. How do you plan to spend your weekend?
I have a couple baseball gigs for band, and I've got some architecture work to do. Nothing major. I might call up Isaiah and make plans.
So this evening, I'm playing Triple Play baseball. I'm down 2-0 most of the game, then in the bottom of the 8th I get a 3-run homer to take the lead. Top of the 9th rolls around, I get the first two guys on grounders. I work the third batter to 0-2, so I am now one strike away from the win. I've got a pitch that will strike out the batter about 98% of the time, so I choose that. The wind-up, and the pitch; I knew I had him beat. When you hit the buttons right, you just know. The ball is halfway to the plate when the power flashes. Aaaarrrgh! I was literally about .09 seconds away from victory, and it's all wiped out. Very, very frustrating.
Wednesday April 9 10:46 PM
Yeah, I haven't updated in forever. Please forgive me. A few things:
Firstly, the Royals...what can I say? 6-0, best start in team history, last undefeated team in MLB, showing great fundamentals...they'll probably lose 90, but for the first time in several years, there's actually something to be excited about at Kauffman Stadium. I'm not shaving till they lose.
I finally saw Fight Club last week. Nothing like what I expected...I would definitely recommend it.
I don't know what I'd do without Scrubs. Yeah, it's hilarious, but a few times each season, there's something that completely blows me away in a non-humorous way. That's why I never miss an episode.
That's really about it for now; not much going on. I haven't been updating because when it crosses my mind, I haven't been up to it. But that all ends now. Probably.
Saturday April 12 12:04 AM
Doggone it, missed Friday by 5 minutes. Oh well, on with the Five.
1. What was the first band you saw in concert?
Still have yet to see one, really. Better Than Ezra and Ben Folds were both in LA last semester but I couldn't get out to see either one.
2. Who is your favorite artist/band now?
Ezra, Folds, and his former Five
3. What's your favorite song?
Hmm...tough. Barenaked Ladies' "If I Had $1000000" definitely ranks up there. "Emaline" from BF Live is absolutely incredible, and the Five have a few that come to mind. I don't have a favorite BTE song because there are so many good ones. This question intrigues me; I think I'll put up a top 10 sometime in the music section.
4. If you could play any instrument, what would it be?
It would be cool to play guitar, but so many guys my age do, and I don't know if I would want to commit to it anyway.
5. If you could meet any musical icon (past or present), who would it be and why?
Foldsie would be an easy answer, but I'd like to come up with someone else. I'd say Bradley Nowell (deceased leader of Sublime), but I don't know if I'd really wanna hang out with a guy who died because he OD'd on heroin. OK, I've been thinking about this for like 10 minutes. Ben Folds it is.
With each day that passes with another Royals win, it gets harder and harder to suppress the feeling that maybe this isn't a fluke. There are still plenty of tests they haven't faced, and the season is very, very long. But since the season began, they've won easily, beaten aces, won when they weren't playing well, come back in the late innings, staved off late-inning comebacks, won low-scoring pitching duels, and are generally just finding ways to win. The main problem is that they've only faced the White Sox, Indians, and Tigers; not exactly the cream of the crop. But right now, I have more hope than I've had since I was too young to realize that the Royals were terrible. I would love nothing more than to have KC prove wrong all the jackasses in the media and otherwise that don't give them any respect, especially on the rare occasions when they actually deserve it. I don't expect them to make a playoff run this year, but if by some miracle they do, I'm gonna write some letters/emails and make some people eat some serious crow.
OK, I'm done. Enough ranting for one night.
Saturday April 19 2:05 AM
Yeah, I'm doing the Friday Five on Saturday again. Sue me.
1. Who is your favorite celebrity?
Uhh...I have no friggin' clue.
2. Who is your least favorite?
Don't know for sure. Probably a rapper.
3. Have you ever met or seen any celebrities in real life?
Come on, I live in Los Angeles. I see multiple celebrities on a daily basis. Well, maybe not, but the ratio's a lot higher than it was in OKC.
4. Would you want to be famous? Why or why not?
I think a small degree of fame would be pretty cool. But being a full-blown star...that lifestyle seems so hollow and meaningless. Not for me.
5. If you had to trade places with a celebrity for a day, who would you choose and why?
LeBron James, but for him and not for me. He'll never go to college, so I think he should have the experience. How's that for an original answer? I'm so outside-the-box.
Well, it's Good Friday, the most somber and sorrowful day of the year. It's good to reflect on the meaning and significance of the day and how it relates to Sunday. Easter is the most joyous holiday in Christianity, and it's hard to understand why unless you realize the anguish that occured on this day.
However, if you had been at Kauffman Stadium tonight, it would have seemed more like Easter than Good Friday. The Royals played for thirty eight thousand, nine hundred and thirty seven fans - the largest non-Opening Day crowd in April in 14 years and just 1,688 short of capacity. And to top it off, Ken Harvey hit a walk-off home run in the 11th inning for the win, on fireworks night. The words rocking, electric, and incredible have all been used to describe the atmosphere, words I have never before heard when talking about Kauffman Stadium. This is borderline miraculous. That is, until compared with Easter. Have a happy one, and remember why it's so special.
Friday April 25 4:28 PM
FF
1. What was the last TV show you watched?
ESPNNews...Royals highlights, baby!
2. What was the last thing you complained about?
Staying up all night to work on a project and the aches and pains that go along with it.
3. Who was the last person you complimented and what did you say?
I'm sure I've said "Lookin' good, fellas" in reference to the Royals sometime very recently.
4. What was the last thing you threw away?
Ice cream sandwich wrapper.
5. What was the last website (besides this one) that you visited?
RoyalBoard.com. I occasionally post under the name Fiddy Six, but mostly I just read. The name? My favorite player as a kid was Brian McRae, who wore number 56.
Wow...quite a few Royals references in there. They're 16-3, you know. Anyway, I know I've been doing nothing but FF updates lately, but that changes soon. My final project comes to a close Sunday, and consequently, I'll be spending about 80-90% of my weekend in studio. I've got 3 new Random Thoughts for next week and plenty else to satisfy your cravings, but I'm gonna starve you a couple days more. Hang in there!
Tuesday April 29 8:33 PM
All kinds of stuff to talk about. First, this.
Now, I'm a Star Wars fan, but is Chewbacca's appearance in the new film really one of the nation's top stories? I sure hope not.
Second, I turned in a complete final project on Sunday evening, after working for almost 40 hours over the weekend. I was awake for 36 consecutive hours at one point from Saturday morning to Sunday evening. I make my presentation on Thursday, turn in my portfolio on Sunday or Monday, and then I'm done with architecture for the year.
Third, I have about $300 dollars that I didn't know I had. Some sort of housing deposit changed my USC balance from $400 to $100, which is a huge help. I'm not entirely sure what happened, but I like it.
Fourth, the Royals may have hit a turning point, in a bad way. They were leading the Blue Jays 9-2 in the 8th inning, and ended up losing 10-9. Complete implosions like that can really hurt a team psychologically...today was the first game since then, and once again the bullpen fell apart and KC lost 7-2. I sure hope they recover quickly. They've got a real tough schedule over the next month.
Finally, and most importantly, I've made the decision to leave USC. This isn't something I'm particularly happy about...but so many things are pointing me towards it. I feel like I haven't done much of anything right since I got here. I don't really have a close group of friends. I want to study hard and do well, but I'm not, and I don't know why. I've had my mind made up for about 3 or 4 weeks, but I wanted to make sure that I was right. Since that time, nothing has happened to make me think I was wrong. So my plan right now is to apply to OU after I come home for summer. If I don't get in because of grades, I'll go to Rose for a semester or two until I get them back up.
And that's that. I wish this could have worked out, but it hasn't. I may write more about this later.
Wednesday April 30 1:52 PM
A couple new links to mention:
This Modern World - I've never been much for political cartoons, but this one is eye-opening and friggin' hilarious. I went through 10 years of archives in about a week. Be warned: it's a really liberal (notice I didn't say Democrat) point of view.
Off the Couch - I already have this one in the links section, but thought I'd give it a little extra plug. Mostly because I had a letter published last week (the one about the lack of Royals coverage). But it's also a great column, and interesting whether or not you give a crap about KC sports.
Thursday May 1 9:16 PM
In the continuing struggle to make this site much more daily and much more inane, here's another small update.
Firstly, my final presentations for architecture went pretty well. The "judges" said they were really impressed with my concept and thought process. Sounds good to me.
Check out the headline on this story. Does that scare anyone else?
How 'bout this - apparently there was a huge food fight at EVK today. I went in for dinner about 7 and they were having people eat in a different room while they cleaned up the main dining area. Sheesh.
Friday May 2 6:26 PM
FF
1. Name one song you hate to admit you like.
All I Want For Christmas Is You
2. Name two songs that always make you cry.
None. Honestly.
3. Name three songs that turn you on.
Uhhh...nothing comes to mind :/
4. Name four songs that always make you feel good.
Ben Folds Five - Lullabye, Better Than Ezra - Extra Ordinary, Fastball - You're An Ocean, Barenaked Ladies - If I Had $1000000
5. Name five songs you couldn't ever do without.
Ben Folds - Emaline, BF - The Secret Life of Morgan Davis, Better Than Ezra - The Killer Inside, Everclear - Song From An American Move Pt 2, Sublime - What I Got. That was hard.
Nothing new today. Miguel Asencio's one out away from a complete game win for the R's, so I guess I'll drag out the update until it's complete...and there it is, about 10 seconds later. Rock.
Thursday May 8 9:38 AM
Why do things always have to get a lot worse before they get better?
More in a few hours.
Thursday May 8 9:08 PM ***edited Sat 5/10 10:53 PM***
What a horrible day. This is gonna be a long one.
At midnight, I was finishing up studying for the physics final with a few other people. After that I went to scan some stuff for my portfolio at a computer lab. I came back to my room to work on my layout and add the pictures. I worked for about two hours, then tried to save the file. Pagemaker promptly froze up without saving anything. So I just did the layout for one page and tried to save. The same thing happened. I messed with Pagemaker for four and a half hours trying to get it to work and never could. So in place of a portfolio, I turned in a CD with all my image files. Hopefully that won't hurt my grade too much.
At 10:00 I finally gave up the fight to save my portfolio, and went to the lecture hall where my physics test was and studied until it began at 11. I did pretty well, I think. In hindsight, this was probably the highlight of my day. That, and realizing I will never have to do anything for that class again.
I got back to my room and found out that tornadoes had once more ravaged the south side of OKC, almost four years to the day after The Big One. It looks like Moore was the hardest hit area, again. Lots of injuries, but no deaths.
After that, I went to go to the bathroom and closed my room door behind me just as I realized it was locked. So I went downstairs to get an extra key, when I realized that both my USC card (which I needed to get an extra key) and my wallet were in my room as well. I still don't know why I completely emptied my pockets after I got back from the test. So I slept on a couch in the lounge for an hour or two, then went back upstairs, and luckily for me, Jason was there by then. I slept til about 6.
***edit***
I realize that I wasn't very clear about this part when I wrote it. Give me a break, I'd had a rough day. Not only did I lock myself out of my room, but when I took the elevator to the ground floor, I didn't have any way to get back up until someone else came and swiped their card. I was stuck downstairs, so rather than wait for someone I just slept for a little bit.
I needed that rest this afternoon so I can stay up and write a paper tonight which is due at 5 pm tomorrow. After that, one more final and I'm done. Thank goodness. On top of all this, I've been miserably sick lately; my ears are stuffed up, which puts a lot of pressure on my head, I cough constantly and painfully, and I've honked about two gallons of snot out of my nose in the last few days. I think I mostly just need a break.
Saturday May 10 10:34 PM
Friday Five, since I missed it yesterday.
1. Would you consider yourself an organized person? Why or why not?
Generally, no. Look at me.
2. Do you keep some type of planner, organizer, calendar, etc. with you, and do you use it regularly?
No. I'm gonna try to use one for next semester, though.
3. Would you say that your desk is organized right now?
Not really...it would be easy to clean off the top, but the drawers are pretty bad.
4. Do you alphabetize CDs, books, and DVDs, or does it not matter?
Yeah, CDs are one of the things that I keep really organized. Baseball cards are another. This summer I'm going to try to catalog every individual baseball card I own on my computer. That's somewhere around 13,000 cards.
5. What's the hardest thing you've ever had to organize?
Does cleaning my room count? I've had to clean out the closet a few times too...that's not much fun. But the biggie comes on Monday: I get to pack up most of the things I own as I get ready to move out of the dorms.
Man, the last few days have been hell. But I got my paper turned in at 4:54 yesterday and went to sleep soon after that. From Wednesday morning til that time, I had been awake for 48 of 55 hours. I've enjoyed doing absolutely nothing today. I'm basically done now, I just have to study for a couple hours on Sunday then take my last final Monday morning. Big sigh.
Saturday August 16 12:04 AM
Hello again. Here's a (really really long) rundown of what's been happening to me this summer.
I got home a few days after my last post. I bummed out around the house for about a week and a half before I went back to work at Forbes, Forbes & Bowler, the law office where I worked last summer (it has since become simply Forbes & Forbes after Bowler opened his own office). I drive my boss, John Forbes, to court pretty much every day because his glaucoma doesn't allow him to do so, and I also do a lot of filing at the office and miscellaeous errands. The pay's good, the people are great, and even though it gets boring sometimes, I know I've got it pretty good.
I discovered soon after coming home that college summers are nothing like high school summers. College summers pretty much suck. It's really hard to get ahold of people to go hang out, and there's not that much to do anyway. I've realized I'm going to lose touch with about 90% of my high school friends, which last year made me really sad, but now it doesn't seem like as big a deal, I guess because I've gotten used to not having them around.
There's been one thing that's been dominating my thoughts, activities, and mood since I've been home. And as incredible as it continues to sound, THE KANSAS CITY ROYALS ARE STILL IN FIRST PLACE EVEN AS I TYPE. I honestly cannot find the words to express how I feel about this ballclub. This sounds dumb, but I've poured my heart and soul into rooting for them my whole life only to see them stumble all over themselves year after year. Well, my emotional investment is finally getting a return! Not only are they winning, but they're so easy to root for. Guys like Angel Berroa, Joe Randa, Aaron Guiel, and Mike Sweeney (just to name a few) epitomize what baseball is all about: heart, effort, teamwork. What can I say about Jose Lima? That guy is incredible. With a patchwork rotation, a freakin' M*A*S*H unit on the field, and several guys that everyone else had given up on, KC continues to win. And Tony Pena...there's no way any of this happens without him. In Kevin Appier's return to Kauffman Stadium, Pena brought him out to warm up in the 7th inning with no intention to let him pitch, but just so he could walk off the field to a thunderous ovation from the sellout crowd. That's all I have to say about Tony. I've been to two games in person, one in KC against the Cardinals, and one in Texas. Hopefully I'll be able to go to a few more. Pennant fever has hit, honey. NOSOTROS CREEMOS!
My room was painted back in June, I got a new desk, I'm nearing completion of my baseball card reorganization/inventory after two months of work. The final count is going to be just short of 15,000, I believe. Other than that, I haven't been doing much. I work 35-40 hours a week, so I don't have time for much else.
I made up my mind for sure about school sometime in July. I struggled with it for a long time. I really wanted to go back to USC just for band for one more semester. And maybe it would give me a chance to enjoy it out there, at least more than I had my first year. There was so much I hadn't tried. But in the end, I think about my time in LA, and I can't remember much of anything going right for me. It seemed like a screwed up everything I tried. I was miserable a lot of the time. I didn't feel like it was where I was supposed to be anymore. So after a lot of doubt, second guessing, worrying, and thought, I decided to go to Rose State here in MWC for a year before going to OU. I'll be living in Norman with Fogarty, Kari, and Danny, making the commute for both class and a smaller role at F&F. After a summer which, in retrospect, seems fairly eventful yet mind-numbingly boring at times, I'm ready for school to start again and get a fresh start. I'm sure I left out a few things in this, and those I will get to in the next few days. Word.
Monday August 18 12:21 AM
I stayed up til 4:00 this morning, partly because I couldn't stop reading online music reviews, and also because I had to scan some stuff for my mom that she needed this morning. I went to her church today to play a trumpet solo (How Beautiful, for those who might know what it is). I hadn't picked up my horn in at least two weeks, so I played for about 10 minutes this morning before I left. It wasn't very good. So I get to the church to practice before the service, on 4 hours of sleep and badly out of shape chops.
I'd just like to say that I love playing in big sanctuaries.
I started to warm up, and it became immediately apparent that I sounded incredible. I couldn't believe it. The reverb was great; my tone was crystal clear. I went through it with the piano accompanist (sp?) once, and he added an organ swell for the big, soaring section in the middle. I did really well in the actual service other than a few fluffy notes caused by a nervous shortness of breath.
I slept for a few hours between church and Presbyterian Night at the RedHawks, which was fun. I got to talk to a couple of my old youth directors, an old friend from youth group, and a lot of old people that know me a lot better than I know them. The Hawks beat Fresno 2-1, KC beat the Twins (heretofore known as the Twinkies or Twinks) 5-4, and the White Sox (heretofore known as the White Sux, Puke Sox, or Fat Sox) lost too. Good day.
I'm looking at another site overhaul in the next few weeks. I want to tone things down a little in terms of content. Tomorrow I'm going to Rose to try to get everything figured out for the upcoming semester. This will probably be my last full-time work week, and if the house is done, I'll move down to Norman this weekend. I'm looking forward to it.
Tuesday August 19 1:53 AM
What a night. Details later.
Friday August 22 12:15 AM
So about the other night. Melissa and I are going to the RedHawks game downtown, so I drive down to Norman to pick her up. Somewhere around Moore my "Check Gauges" light comes on, something that happens pretty often. No big deal, I've always been able to go a pretty good ways before having to fill up again. So we go to the game, have a good time, and head back to the car. I hadn't even gotten half a mile out of the parking lot when The Mighty Cavalier stopped responding when I pushed the gas pedal. This was the first time I'd ever run out of gas, so my head spun for a little while trying to figure out what to do, amidst the swearing and smacking the wheel. Thank God Melissa kept a level head. She showed me how to turn on my flashers (which I had never had to do before), and suggested I push the car into a nearby parking lot. So I get out in the middle of Reno Avenue and do just that. People are asking if I need help, while I try to smile and politely decline. It was one of the more embarrassing moments of my life, made worse because I had stranded my poor friend, who earlier had been telling me about the horrible summer she'd been having. And also, the nearest gas station was about a mile away with some shady neighborhoods in between. After making severall calls, we managed to find someone to come out and bring us enough gas to get to the station. So there we were on the fringes of downtown Oklahoma City after sunset, sitting in a parking lot and trying to make the best of things. She was a sport and kept saying it wasn't a big deal. After our help arrived, we went back to Norman and hung out with some people, then I drove home. It was certainly something different.
I took off work today to go talk to OU about classes and such. Tomorrow I'm going to Rose to officially apply and enroll. Three days before classes start. I've got to stop living on the edge. Oh, and I still haven't officially notified USC that I'm not coming back. It never ends.
Saturday August 23 1:56 AM
Another day, another failed attempt to finalize my enrollment at Rose. This time there were too many people already there when I came in at 4:00, and they said they probably wouldn't be able to fit me in. So I'm heading up there at 9 in the morning to try to get at the front of the line and get this over with. Tomorrow's also the day I'm moving all my stuff down to Norman. I'm really looking forward to being out on my own again. Not that I don't love my family or anything, but after the "taste of freedom" I got at USC, I don't think I could live with my parents for more than a few months at a time anymore. It'll be nice to be closer to home, but I don't really want to be at home all the time now.
Big news, friends! I officially ordered my tickets for Orange Peel on September 5th, which is an OSU event, but I can live with that because of the performers. Band #1: Barenaked Ladies. Those guys are great, and I'm looking forward to seeing them live. Band #2: Better Than Ezra. Really. I think everyone knows how I feel about BTE. Couldn't get much better than that, right? Well, Band (sort of) #3:
Ben Folds.
Yeah.
It's like they made up this show just for me. What are the odds that those 3 would play the same gig? It's 2 weeks from tonight (which is still Friday for all intents and purposes), and I absolutely cannot wait. I've been giddy all day.
Royals win, they're still a game behind the Puke Sox, but they jumped back to a half game ahead of the Twinkies. The Raiders lost their preseason game to the Vikings, whom the Chiefs beat last week. Ha.
Stay tuned for moving day, and hopefully I can get started on a new layout after I get settled in.
Saturday September 20 11:08 PM
Another month, another update. I just got my laptop back online this week, so hopefully I can try and revive this place yet again. I've been in Norman for almost a month now, and things are going well. Rose State is reallyreallyreallyreallyreally easy, and if I don't end up with a 4.0 I'll probably (check that; definitely) cry. I still work at Forbes & Forbes 3 days a week, so I'm up in MWC every weekday. The Mighty Cav's been to the shop twice, once for bad fuel filters, once for new sparkplugs. The poor girl's had 109,000 miles put on her in 5 years.
Orange Peel effin' rocked! I can say without hesitation that it was one of the greatest nights of my life. I went with Evangelista, Chumard, and Whitney Smith (last name changed because I don't know if she would want me publishing her name on the internet). Sinbad hosted, and he was pretty good. Better Than Ezra were great, they had a guy from the crowd come up and play This Time of Year with them. Kevin Griffin was really funny. He explained how the key to being a good rock band was knowing when and how to "break it down" and "kick it up." And he had a great quote during it which I can't remember anymore. My interest in BTE had kind of been waning recently, but it has been rekindled. The setlist:
Misunderstood
Good
Extra Ordinary
King of New Orleans
A new song
At the Stars
This Time of Year
Desperately Wanting
Folds was next. Folds was awesome. He explained the meaning behind several songs and had everyone laughing on numerous occasions. He has a lot of energy and was absolutely wailing on that piano. For Army, instead of having the crowd sing the horn part in the middle, he had the OSU band come on stage and play it. In conclusion, I'm a bigger fan than ever. The setlist:
One Angry Dwarf and 200 Solemn Faces
Zak and Sara
Annie Waits
Eddie Walker
A new song (which I have since learned is called All You Can Eat)
Philosophy
Kate
Brick
Best Imitation of Myself
Rockin' the Suburbs
The Luckiest
Army
Not the Same
Barenaked Ladies were great, too. Jokes left and right, audience participation, high energy, awesome music. They finished off the concert and an amazing night. The setlist:
It's All Been Done
Pinch Me
A hilarious freestyle rap
A new song
Falling for the First Time
Van Halen's "You Really Got Me"
Alcohol
A new song (which I have since learned is called Another Postcard)
Too Little Too Late
A new song
One Week
The Old Apartment
If I Had $1000000
Brian Wilson
The last two weeks since then have been pretty uneventful. I started going to First Presbyterian in Norman, and I'll probably go check out Memorial Pres sometime soon, too. I might post a few other happenings from the last month later on.
Tuesday September 23 12:27 AM
Here I am trying to squeeze out the rest of a rough draft for Comp. It's going okay, and I'm writing about a subject I know well (the Royals). For those who don't follow them, they're on life support. Basically, they have to win the rest of their games and have the Twins lose the rest of theirs to win the division; if they win all but one and the Twins lose all but one, they'll end in a tie. So, it's not looking good, but it's been an unbelievable season all the same. For once, I have reason to look forward to next year. But, as Yogi said, "It ain't over til it's over." Miracles do happen.
The Chiefs are off to a great start. They're 3-0 and looking good doing it. The Raiders are 1-2, and their only win was a 3-point defeat of the Bengals. I love it.
This is the only page I'm updating anymore, as I'm sure you've noticed, and I hope to find some time in the near future to learn enough Dynamic HTML to relaunch this site. Give it a couple weeks. Oh, and I do have a significant happening from the last week, but I really need to get cracking on this essay. Wish me luck.
Tuesday September 23 10:26 PM
Twins 4, Indians 1
Tigers 15, Royals 6
Yankees 7, White Sox 0
Division dreams are over. Thanks to the Royals for making this summer unforgettable. Second place is set in our sights now, and we're still tied with the Sux for that. I'm making plans right now to pay a visit to Marco this weekend and catch the R's last two games of the year in person. If you want in, let me know ASAP and we'll see if we can work something out.
Some recent CD purchases of mine:
Fiona Apple, When the pawn hits the conflicts he thinks like a king... (1999): This is the one with the 70-something word poem as a title. Only given it a few listens, but I like it. The overall tone is bitter , but it has its lighter moments. Most of the reviews I've seen on it are very good, so I'm looking forward to digging into it.
Jellyfish, Spilt Milk (1993): Ornately over-orchestrated and pompous. Their sound is a mixture of The Beatles, Beach Boys, and Queen, so a lot of the time it sounds either pretentious or unoriginal. But you know what? I love it. There's some ridiculously catchy tunes, some awesome vocal effects, and smart lyrics. An instant personal favorite.
The Coral, The Coral (2002): Haven't listened to this one much yet, either. I love "Dreaming of You," which appeared on an episode of Scrubs, so I bought it based on that. There's some weird stuff that I don't think I'll ever acclimate to, but it's generally an agreeable slice of something different.
Fountains of Wayne, Fountains of Wayne (1996): Standard FoW fare; sugary power pop with some surefire hit singles that never made the charts. Actually, Radiation Vibe was a minor hit several years ago, but for the most part, these guys have unjustifiably gone under the mainstream radar.
I finished the paper soon after posting last night. It was good, but still just a rough draft, so it didn't count for a grade or anything. I might think about posting a copy of the final one here. You know, just to keep you all up to speed with my mad writing skillz.
Friday September 25 12:24 AM
Tomorrow I leave for Lawrence and KC. I'm pretty stoked. Last night I had this great IM conversation with Isaiah that I'm going to post here soon after I get back. And yes, I have his consent on this. I'll also post my final draft of the Comp paper, which I turned in today. I thought it was pretty good.
After checking out some online tutorials, I think I should be able to get a new site up within a week or two. Brace yourselves.
Here's a blast from the past. The Friday Five returns!
1. Who is your favorite singer/musician? Why?
Ben Folds, of course. He writes songs that are lyrically and musically impressive, songs that I connect with and relate to. Some of them are sad, some are carefree, some are hilarious. And based on what I know about his interviews and concerts, he's a really cool guy, too.
2. What one singer/musician can you not stand? Why?
I've developed a real dislike for modern radio, Clear Channel especially. Most of the "artists" on the top 40 stations are pretty bad.
3. If your favorite singer wasn't in the music business, do you think you would still like him/her as a person?
I probably wouldn't know a damn thing about him if that was the case.
4. Have you been to any concerts? If yes, who put on the best show?
Orange Peel was my first concert ever. Sad? Yes. All three acts exceeded my lofty expectations.
5. What are your thoughts on downloading free music online vs. purchasing albums? Do you feel the RIAA is right in its pursuit to stop people from dowloading free music?
This is a toughy. I download music, so I can't find it inherently bad, or else my conscience wouldn't allow me to do so. Personally, I use KaZaA as a pre-purchase tool. I've bought over half of my good-sized CD collection based on songs I've downloaded. File sharing allowed me to discover Ben Folds Five, Better Than Ezra, Sublime, Fountains of Wayne, and many others. If I hadn't gotten into downloading, I'd probably still be listening to the trash that litters the radio.
As for the RIAA, I suppose they have a right to protect their financial interests. But they aren't making any friends with the way they're doing it. There are a lot of ways to make a pay service plausible and popular, but they just seem interested in taking out the people who are "stealing their fortune." I would be happy to pay a monthly fee or a per-song fee, but right now all the pay services don't have the selection of KaZaA.
Thursday October 2 11:24 PM
I've had a lot happen since my last update. This weekend was pretty cool. It was great to see Marco again and we had a good time hanging out and having a "sport-fucking-tacular" weekend. I got to tag along for the KU-Mizzou football game; the student tickets were sold out, but we found a scalper with a nice price. The seats were about halfway up on the 30 yard line. KU kicked some ass, 35-14, and I got a big sunburn. Pretty fun, and a cool experience I wasn't expecting.
The first Royals game was godawful. We left in the 8th inning when the score was White Sux 18, Royals 3. Yeah, really. I felt like throwing up. Mike Sweeney hit a home run at least, but that one was over before it started.
The second game wasn't great, but it was better. The starters were taken out in the third inning to rousing applause. Due partly to that fact, Sux pitcher Esteban Loaiza took a no-hitter into the seventh inning before giving up a hit. The final was CWS 5, KC 1. We moved down to some better seats in the 5th; 7 or 8 rows up and right in line with the first base foul line. They were playing a song between innings at one point, so Marco danced like a jackass in attempt to get on the big screen. And I'll be damned if that isn't exactly what happened. Cool moment.
After the game, they played a seasonal retrospective video on the big screen and the players came out of the dugout so we could all cheer. I got a little emotional, though I didn't shed any. I bought a Believe t-shirt and we stayed afterwards to collect a few autographs. Despite the outcomes of the games, I'm glad I went. It was nice to see such a magical season come to its close.
Unfortunately, all these sporting events drained my cash flow, so I ended up with no money for the turnpike. I filled up in a little town south of Lawrence and planned my alternate route. It took about two and a half hours extra, and I had some "did I take a wrong turn?" moments, but in the end, I got where I was going. If nothing else, it made things more exciting.
A quiet week, but today had its moments. I started the day by aceing a history test. When I got back home, in the mail were the two new Ben Folds EPs, Speed Graphic and Sunny 16. So far I really like them, although I've only listened to each a few times. Tonight was also the season premiere of Scrubs. It wasn't an episode for the ages, but it was pretty solid and entertaining. I'm looking forward to more.
Plans for the new site are still underway, but I'm fighting a few things schedule-wise, so be patient. It shouldn't be too long.
